The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card is a very good credit card to get if you have excellent credit (750+ credit score recommended) and you want to choose your own bonus cash back categories. The card is easily worth its $95 annual fee (which doesn’t apply the first year) due to these generous, flexible rewards. 

What I Like About the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card

$250 initial bonus

You can get $250 bonus after you spend $2,000 within 120 days. That’s one of the biggest bonuses you can get from a cash back credit card for personal use right now. 
 

Up to 6% back at 2 retailers you select 

This only applies to the first $1,500 that you spend at these retailers each quarter (total, not per retailer), but it’s still an excellent opportunity to save at your favorite stores. The following major retailers are eligible:

Up to 3% back in your favorite everyday spending category

You get to choose your own adventure with this rewards rate, too. The options include: 

• Gas stations & EV charging stations
• Wholesale clubs
• Bills and home utilities

You can change your selection each quarter if you want to and this applies to the first $1,500 that you spend each quarter.
 

1.5% back on all other purchases

A lot of credit cards give just 1% cash back at a minimum, so this puts the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card way ahead of the crowd. Still, no one would blame you if you paired this card with a 2% cash back credit card, to hike up your earning floor a bit.
 

No annual fee the first year

This is basically a second initial bonus, saving you $95 relative to the second year onward. It also saves you $26.75 compared to the average credit card offer available right now, according to WalletHub’s Credit Card Landscape Report.

What I Don’t Like About the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card

No bonus rewards if you don’t select custom categories

If you don’t activate your 3% and 6% cash back categories each quarter, you will earn the minimum rewards rate of 1.5% back on everything you buy. That’s a major downside if you’re not the most organized person.
 

$95 annual fee, starting the second year

This fee makes the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card nearly four times more expensive than the average credit card offer. It’s certainly not a deal-breaker, though. It does not apply the first year, and you can still save hundreds of dollars per year with this card.
 

18.24% - 28.24% (V) APR

This card is great for earning rewards, but paying off purchases over the course of multiple months is not its strong suit. Any balance you carry from month to month will accrue interest at the card’s high regular APR, which will quickly eat away at your savings from rewards.

You won’t have to pay interest if you pay the statement balance in full every month, however, so that should be a must if you decide to apply.
 

Excellent credit required

The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card is pretty hard to get, considering you need excellent credit just to qualify. That won’t be welcome news for most people, seeing as the average score is in fair-to-good territory.

You can check your credit score for free here on WalletHub to get a sense of your chances. A score of 750 or higher should give you good odds. If you’re interested in alternatives, you can also check out our editors’ complete picks for the best credit cards for shopping.